Has anyone noticed that Gen Z marketers are a little unhinged? But, like, in the best way. Recently, unhinged marketing has become increasingly popular. But what is it? And why? Who’s doing it, and how far will it go? Let’s dig in.
Unhinged marketing is a wild, unpredictable approach that leans into bold, unexpected content. It’s not about playing it safe—it’s about grabbing attention in an authentically chaotic way, which resonates perfectly with Gen Z’s digital culture.
Gen Z craves marketing that feels real, raw, and fun. Traditional strategies bore them, so brands willing to take risks, break the rules, and show a sense of humor win big. Unhinged marketing meets them on their terms, where authenticity and entertainment reign.
Gen Z is the first generation of true internet natives. They prioritize social issues like sustainability and inclusivity, are savvy about digital content, and expect brands to align with their values. They don’t just want a product—they want to know the brand behind it stands for something meaningful.
Nutter Butter embraced a quirky, unexpected strategy, letting a superfan named Aidan become part of their brand story. This unorthodox approach, full of humor and internet culture, connected with Gen Z by creating a fun, interactive experience.
Not necessarily! Unhinged marketing works best for brands matching Gen Z’s vibe and humor. A different approach might be better for some industries, but the key is always to be authentic and let Gen Z participate when possible.
To define unhinged marketing, first, we need to define the word “unhinged.” In this context, being unhinged means crazy, but in a cool way. It’s a popular term that millennials and Gen Z consumers have used to describe themselves for some time, and it only makes sense that brands are starting to appeal to it. We will get into some of the internet-breaking examples here in a minute. But first, let’s talk about Gen Z.
Most people still associate Gen Z with the younger population, but that’s a common misconception. Much like millennials have been incorrectly associated with Gen Z, Gen Z is now associated with Generation Alpha and its trends. Gen Z consumers are the demographic group born between 1997 and 2010, so they are between 12 and 27 years old and are expected to make up 27% of the workforce by 2025.
They are the first generation to grow up with the internet ingrained in their daily lives. This is a generation of user-generated content, social media trends, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts. They are the young adults who have spent their lives becoming digital natives.
Gen Z has shown that a brand’s values are more important than the product. They are a future-oriented generation prioritizing the planet, social responsibility, and accountability when capturing their attention. Turning a Gen Z consumer into a loyal customer starts with how inclusive a brand can be.
The climate crisis has deeply impacted Gen Z. They prefer to support sustainable brands or thrift stores. They hold brands accountable for their environmental impact and have been known to call out brands that don’t meet their expectations.
Now that Gen Z is entering the workforce, they expect a change from the norm and bring unique values to the workforce that will have a long-term impact. According to research, they are collaborative and pragmatic. They tend to prioritize work-life balance and their mental health. They also view loyalty and hierarchy differently. Challenging the latter when they don’t believe it’s necessary.
Overall, the bad rap often associated with Gen Z is unnecessary. They have shown themselves to be independent and driven and take a unique approach to handling social issues.
Over the past few years, several brands have made notable changes to their marketing strategies. We are seeing a shift in content creation and social media marketing as businesses ramp up their efforts to appeal to Gen Z. With the rise of TikTok and influencer marketing, we are seeing a significant change in the types of content brands are putting out there. Essentially, they want brands they can trust and marketing that isn’t boring, and some brands have understood the assignment when it comes to appealing to young consumers.
If you haven’t heard by now, Nutter Butter is causing quite a stir on social media. And for good reason. Take some time to head over to their TikTok and see for yourself. It’s..It’s unhinged. But it’s working. So when did it start? It’s been going on longer than you think; it’s now paying off. Early in 2023, the brand shifted away from its regular marketing strategy of memes and trends and began posting content that was..weird. But to unpack it, first, we need to talk about Aidan.
In essence, Aidan is a superfan. Aidan Moloney was a digital marketing student that left the comment “Aidan” on Nutter Butter’s TikTok posts for a year straight. These comments eventually became so popular that the brand incorporated them into its marketing strategy. And they appear to be collaborating with him because just last week, he posted that he was happy to be a part of the Nutter Butter Aiden campaign.
Even though Nutter Butter started posting these videos over a year ago, the campaigns took months to take off. This speaks to the brand’s commitment and willingness to take risks, but what was the thought process behind this? In essence, this was successful because Nutter Butter was willing to embrace Gen Z culture and give them personalized experiences but also look ahead to the sense of humor we are starting to see come out of Gen Alpha. Nutter Butter is notably one of the first brands to do this, but they aren’t the only ones.
Many other snack brands have been commenting on these videos and have begun implementing similar strategies on their channels. Wheat Thins, Sour Patch Kids, and Oreo are notable examples.
@therealsourpatchkids its getting soggy
♬ It's Time - Foliage
Sour Patch Kids has been appealing to Gen Z in ways beyond their TikTok account. They have created a personalized experience for Gen Z customers joining the workforce through their Sour Translator. The sour translator offers Gen Z new to the workforce an opportunity to input corporate jargon and receive a simplified explanation. They then receive an offer for Sour Patch Kids, redeemable at Albertson’s or Safeway. Genius, honestly.
Oreo has been going after Gen Z hard in the U.K. The brand placed a snap code on 134 million Oreo packages, allowing Gen Z customers to unlock a cookie-themed AR lens, and digital stickers of “Orioji” characters. They then took it further and included a video game where Snap users could “zorb” or roll downhill in a transparent ball through an obstacle course.
In addition to these campaigns, we are seeing similar trends on their social media accounts as they comment on Nutter Butter videos and other snack company brands. This just goes to show that building brand loyalty is an ongoing process.
@oreo There’s always 2028… #paris2024 #fypage #oreo #oreocookies ♬ Winners Circle - Atomica Music
The previous campaigns may be news to you, but I’m sure you’ve seen Wendy’s Facebook by now. But what is going on there? Wendy’s has been ranting on Facebook like an unhinged uncle for years. One might assume the account was hacked initially, but that’s not true. Wendy’s has stepped away from the typical boring brand strategy adopted for so long by many brands focused on simply selling. It seems they have decided to go in an unhinged but hilarious direction, and it’s worked remarkably well.
Not all marketing needs to be unhinged. There are certain brands and situations where it’s inappropriate, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still appeal to Gen Z. Anywhere you need to be taken seriously, you shouldn’t use unhinged marketing. Brands in law, finance, non-profit organizations, and medicine. That doesn’t mean you can’t still appeal to Gen Z using other strategies.
One of the best ways brands can appeal to younger audiences is by letting them participate in their marketing campaigns. Letting them write the marketing script or edit the videos for social media marketing campaigns is one way to do that. Check out this example from the Royal Armory.
@royalarmouriesmuseum Serving curatorial realness fr #armsandarmour #royalarmouries #museum #history #genz #historytok #museumtok #marketingscript ♬ Jazz Bossa Nova - TOKYO Lonesome Blue
Appealing to a younger audience means meeting them where they are, and Gen Z is a collaborative generation that is tech savvy and understands the internet better than most anybody else. Gen Z users don’t want boring marketing. And it’s honestly refreshing.
@todayshow "Asked my Gen Z employee to edit a video for me, and this is what I got! 😄" Mike Hege is a realtor at Pridemore Properties, a real estate brokerage based in Charlotte, North Carolina. In early July, the 43-year-old asked his company's 27-year-old video marketing manager to make a video for his Instagram and TikTok pages. The playful post took off, racking up nearly 3.5 million views within just four days. Many comments commended the employee. “Give her a raise because this 100% caught my attention far more than whatever you were going to say,” a user commented. 📹: Pridemore Properties and @mikehege.realtor ♬ original sound - TODAY Show
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